Shaquille O'Neal (36) battled injuries throughout what he says is his final season in the NBA. (AP Photo) AP

“If there’s a lockout, I can see him bored with whatever he’s doing, wanting the attention and trying to come back with a team later in the season,” an ex-coach of O’Neal’s said.

Shaq “still thinks he can play, and that Achilles will feel better in a few months and he’ll want to hear those cheers again,” Wojnarowski writes.

But in an interview with ESPN, Shaq gave no indication that he’s considering playing again.

"I really, really thought about coming back, but this Achilles is very damaged and if I had it done the recovery would be so long we'd have (the) same outcome as this last year -- everyone sitting around and waiting for me,” O'Neal said on SportsCenter . “I didn't want to let people down two years in a row. I didn't want to hold Boston hostage again.”

"I'm going to miss the competition. I'm going to miss, you know, the chase for the ring. You know, I'm actually going to miss everything," he added. "... Father Time has caught up with Shaquille O'Neal."